Biggest Loser has been getting a lot of coverage lately, having appeared on Oprah this past fall and then on Larry King Live this past week. One of the show’s favorite winners, Erik Chopin of season three, was absent from Oprah’s episode, saying he just wanted to hide and didn’t want to admit to friends and fans his weight gain. Then he appeared on Larry King, and America saw that the man who had lost 214 pounds on Biggest Loser, had gained it back. Erik has since gained 122 pounds.

Erik Chopin won Biggest Loser 3, then gained 122 pounds. (Oprah.com)

Erik got another invite to visit Oprah, and in the show that aired this week, they both discussed falling off the wagon. He told her that he realized food is his drug of choice. “I was looking to the food to heal myself, to feel better about something,” said Erik. He says that maintenance is a lifelong challenge, a sentiment Oprah echoed on her Best Life Week while discussing her own return to the weight loss battle.

So after a silent weight gain alone, Erik says it was Oprah who inspired his aha moment (a moment that Oprah coined on her show). After Oprah came out and shared that she’d gained 40 pounds, Erik decided to embrace it and share with the world. Erik is now committed to getting back in the gym, even though it’s not his favorite thing, but says you have to “do it for you.”

11 Responses to “Biggest Loser’s Erik Chopin Gains it Back”

“Clinical Diabetes,” a journal, recently published a review article, “Weight Regain Prevention,” summarizing effective strategies for prevention of weight regain after a successful weight-loss program. The article is not specifically for or about people with diabetes.

The authors’ recommendations for prevention of weight regain are mostly based on well-designed, published, peer-reviewed, scientific studies. They identified characteristics of successful weight loss maintainers – what I call “successful losers.” The idea is that a person will enhance her odds of keeping the lost weight off by incorporating these habits into her lifestyle:

1. Maintain high levels of physical activity. Consider at least 60 minutes daily of moderate activity. Ouch!
2. Limit television to less that a few hours a day.
3. Eat a diet low in fat and calories. [I disagree with the accross-the-board low-fat recommendation.]
4. Maintain a consistent eating pattern throughout the week and year. Successful losers often report less variety, compared to other people, in all food groups except for fruits.
5. Eat breakfast routinely.
6. Control emotional eating.
7. Weigh frequently, whether daily or weekly.
8. Catch and address weight regain early, before it gets out of hand.
9. Consider sequential medications. E.g., sibutramine for months, then orlistat for months.
10. Individual and/or group follow-up support. Even follow-up by phone works.
11. Have realistic expectations. Most dieters only lose about half the weight they expected in the first place. The resulting sense of disappointment sabotages efforts to keep the weight off. Anticipate the universal tendency to regain lost weight.
12. Helpful diet patterns: eat more than five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, watch portion sizes, self-record food intake, plan meals, limit fast food.
13. “Exercise is central to weight loss maintenance.” And finally . . .
14. “Exercise is central to weight loss maintenance.”

Interesting list, Steve. I’m a long-term maintainer; I’ve kept 80 lbs off for nearly 5 years now. Let’s see how I match up to the list. I’m not diabetic, so I’m going to leave that part off:

1. Maintain high levels of physical activity. Consider at least 60 minutes daily of moderate activity. Ouch!
– I don’t do that much, except in the summer. I am a road cyclist and bike 3,000 miles a year; I also do gym cardio in the winter and lift weights. But my workouts in winter are less than an hour, usually, and not always intense, and not every day.

One thing I do: I match my eating to my workouts. I eat less when I don’t work out.

2. Limit television to less that a few hours a day.
I rarely have time to watch TV. I have a TiVo with lots of unwatched programs on it.

3. Eat a diet low in fat and calories. [I disagree with the accross-the-board low-fat recommendation.]
I also disagree. I eat a lot of healthy fats (and sometimes not so healthy). I can eat 30% or more of my diet in fat, depending on the day or season. Fat is satiating.

4. Maintain a consistent eating pattern throughout the week and year. Successful losers often report less variety, compared to other people, in all food groups except for fruits.
I also disagree with this. I eat less during the week, and more on weekends, when I bike more and we go out and eat more. Because I do track calories faithfully, I’m able to balance my weeks and months out. I believe in “flexible restraint,” and living a normal life – eating at parties, enjoying real treats, not diet crap.

5. Eat breakfast routinely.
Oh, always.

6. Control emotional eating.
I’m not that much of an emotional eater, but I can be . . . and I get these periods when I think I’m entitled to chocolate every afternoon, because I’m under so much stress at work. Sometimes I have it, but I developed a trend this fall that put an extra couple of pounds on me. I think I’ve squelched that habit now.

7. Weigh frequently, whether daily or weekly.
I weigh daily, and am familiar with my ups and downs on the scale.

8. Catch and address weight regain early, before it gets out of hand.
Always. Right now I’m addressing about 5 lbs (part from vacation). I’ve done this many times over the last few years, always successfully.

10. Individual and/or group follow-up support. Even follow-up by phone works.
I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers – still go to meetings, have many WW friends, participate on a WW board, and have my own blog (not currently updated, due to recent life events). I stay connected to support constantly, and also try to help other folks – this also helps ME!

11. Have realistic expectations.
Ahhh, this is good and bad. If I had expected to lose only, say, 40 lbs, I may have not tried for the rest. But I just kept moving forward and never looked back. It ultimately took me nearly 2.5 years to lose the 80 lbs – I hovered 7 – 10 lbs from goal for more than a year – but I finally made it. And I’m still here — which is the most important part.

I’m also not at the bottom of my weight range. I’m 56, and don’t think it’s realistic for me to try to be 115. I also a mesomorph, and being 115 would mean I’d have body fat that’s too low.

Darn. I really did space this out; sorry it posted in one long globby paragraph.

Matt
Jan 20th, 2009
9:52 pm

Here is the problem:

There are 3 stages of weight loss. (this is why you mainly see “Skinny people in the gym”)

1. Feel Stage: An overweight person starts to feel the changes of working out and being healthy. Starts to build self esteem.

2. See Stage: People start noticing the weight loss… then the person gets to their goal.

3. Maintain Stage. This stage is the life long commitment. This is where the “diet stops”. Once the overweight person gets to their goal.. they go off the “diet”. They never get to the maintain stage.

THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING. I used to be overweight. I still am not at my goal. But a double major in Kinesiology and Premed with a minor in nutrition, my goal is to stay healthy the rest of my life, and help as many people as I can stay healthy. NOT A DIET.. a LIFELONG COMMITMENT! Common Eric… stay healthy. DIABETES ISNT ANYTHING TO MESS WITH. Especially Type II. Turns into type I, or worse.. you could really get sick. Get to the gym, and get used to it. We all know you can do it!

Way to go Erik for recommitting! You did it once and you can do it again! Don’t try to do it BL style, do it Erik style, one step at a time. Create habits ERIK can live with for the rest of his life.

Stein
Mar 25th, 2009
2:08 pm

I have lost 70 pounds and kept it down and am still losing after almost 2 years, moderate intake of hi-cal foods is key.. If your weight loss is solely based on excersize, its never going to work.

john
Apr 16th, 2009
3:19 am

I couldnt agree more with stein weight loss should be based on a moderate food intake rather than on hours of exercise that would put an athlete to shame,the fact is you cant outrun a bad diet and you should not try to an hours cardio can be wiped out with 1 doughnut, eat sensibly and the weight takes care of itself Ive lost over 150lbs and kept it off for a year so far by watching what I eat and weight training 3x per week for 40 mins each session no more.

mag
Apr 17th, 2009
2:36 am

i really agree with stein and john..i’m myself still battling with my weight… i hate myself for being unable to take control my food intake…

Renee
Apr 21st, 2009
8:39 am

Oh… At first, I felt little disappointed… How come? when I watched the finale , I was shocked. He was adorable. But when I read this news, I was shocked again because Eric is the one person who inspired me so much. But I realized, that It isn’t easy for him to keep his weight, I just wanna say, Eric, you’re the one who inspired me and even the world. Please lose your weight again for you, your family, and the world, and show to the worldwide that you able to keep you weight normal. I and the world support you so much. Keep trying!

I have lost 260lbs on my own through diet and exercise, and have become a ACE certified personal trainer. I was motivated by Eric.

I not necessarily disappointed that he is gaining the weight back, but more disappointed that he got the plastic surgery to remove the excess skin (and then gain the weight back). I am dealing with excess skin issues myself.

When I see the magazines at the newstand talking about current TBL contestants, I do not bother reading them. I cannot get inspired by their “weight loss success stories”, as it was all done via a television show

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